Sometimes I talk a good game.* I can go on and on about how I want to live intentionally and support worthwhile causes and so on. But it's another thing to actually spend the money and put those plans into action. That's one of the reasons that I like putting things out here on this blog - it holds me accountable. And I'm very excited to report that the rubber has successfully met the road lately!
Sienna Mobile Phone Service
If you run around in any NFP or pro-life circles, you've probably seen the advertisements for this. The Sienna Group is a cell phone company that donates 5% of your monthly bill to the pro-life charity of your choice. I must admit that I saw their advertisements for months before I finally got around to looking into it, and then waited another month or two before I finally switched. But I'm really glad I did, so I figured I'd save you the time and tell you all about it here so you can go ahead and switch, too!
Basically they have the exact same coverage/service as Verizon. If you have a Verizon phone, you can keep it and continue to use it. If you have a number you like, regardless of carrier, you can keep that as well. Their plan costs are very competitive with the other big guys. As in, almost exactly the same. In fact, a month or two after I signed up, I got a letter from Sienna saying that the plan I had chosen had just gone down in price by $5 a month! How often do you see that?!
My favorite aspect so far has been that you don't have to sign any contract. I've already changed my plan a few times - first because I decided I needed fewer minutes, then because we added my husband so we switched to a family plan. Oh, and tied for first place for my favorite part? When you call them, a real live person answers the phone. A person in Ohio. A person who doesn't transfer you around, but takes care of all your questions themself. Awesome.
Having 5% going to charity is like the icing on the cake. It doesn't have to be a specifically pro-life or Catholic charity - I chose for ours to be One More Soul. You can search for your pet charity at the bottom of the screen (or if I link this right, this is a full list of the charities they donate to). If your favorite charity isn't listed, you can contact them to see if they'll add it!
They also offer free phones, which my cheap self took full advantage of. They also have a very limited selection of better phones. The free ones are extremely basic. Probably my only complaint so far has been in my cheapo free phone's terrible battery - but as soon as I called Sienna, they directed me to the right person at Motorola to call, and a new battery was in the mail. Problem solved!
I am so excited to be supporting a company like this, all while spending no more money than before and getting the same service (and better customer service)! If you've been on the fence about switching, or even if you haven't thought about it but your current contract is up soon, please do consider joining The Sienna Group!
Oberweis Dairy
When we moved here, I noticed something strange in the dairy aisle of the grocery store - milk in glass bottles. Oberweis - what was that? There were no tags or descriptions on it, but it looked pretty expensive, so I ignored it initially. Then we discovered an Oberweis ice cream shop, and we are not ones to turn down ice cream. While enjoying our treats, I thumbed through some of the brochures, getting more and more excited as I went.
"Hey honey, their milk is hormone free. Oh, their milk comes from family farms with about 80 cattle each! Ohh, there's a reason it comes in glass bottles! Wow, it really does sound even better than organic! And they do a home delivery! How cool is that?!"
To which my husband responded: "Done. Sign us up. Easiest decision all day."
I went home and did a bit more research, as I'm too wishy-washy inquisitive to just make a snap decision like that. Yes, their dairy products really did seem to be as good as they said. I wavered for a bit, as this is a more expensive choice. (Although you can find coupons or just call customer service to get a promotional code when you first sign up - but it's still going to be more expensive.) In the end, I was won over by the fact that (a) not just their milk but all of their dairy products (butter, cheese, ice cream) are going to be hormone and antibiotic free** and (b) we're supporting small family farmers. My husband was won over by the fact that they deliver it to your doorstep and we'll never run out of milk again.
Our first delivery arrived this morning. I'm thrilled!
Also on the money meets the mouth docket is buying more of our meat from a local farmer and hopefully buying an American-made sofa. While both of these choices might require a bit more work initially, I am finding that they are not necessarily more expensive - score!
I know there are still more ways that we can spend with integrity, though. Tell me, what conscientious consumer choices do you make? What other companies should my buck back?
As usual, I'm not receiving anything for telling you about these companies - I just like them and want to share!
* Actually, I'm not really eloquent at all in real life conversation, but I pretend like I am when I write on here.
** If I was really going all out with the real foods thing, I'd be looking for raw milk. But that still makes me a bit nervous, and good luck convincing my husband! Milk from hormone-free, humanely-treated cows seems to be the best option for our family right now.